Friday, April 30, 2010

I haven't done a video game post in awhile. Well, mostly because I've been playing the same two games, Dragon Age Origins and Assassin's Creed II, over and over again. Both completely awesome games that I highly recommend. I haven't even gone back to Final Fantasy 13, sad as that is. I will get to it someday, but for now, there are just too many good games to slog through a "meh" one.

Which brings me to this.

I loved the first Bioshock. Loved loved loved it. It was innovative, it was unique, it was spooky and engaging and pretty as heck. It won Game of the Year for good reason. For those of you that don't know the plot, your (the hero's) plane crashes in the middle of the ocean, and you discover an entire city on the bottom of the sea floor. "Rapture" was the brainchild of one Andrew Ryan, a visionary who dreamed of a place where god and government could not touch, where people could be exactly what they wanted without fear of "the Parasite" taking it all away. In Rapture, scientists invented something called "Adam," which allowed you to rewrite your genetic structure to make you prettier, smarter, and oh yeah, it also gave you super powers like telekinesis and the ability to hurl lightning from your hands. Everyone could be beautiful. Everyone could be a god. Sounds like a paradise, right?

Not exactly.

When you get to Rapture, its pretty clear things have gone batsh*t crazy. The city is in ruins, and all the people have gone off the deep end due to an unforeseen Adam addiction. Its like being locked in a loony bin at the bottom of the sea. As you make your way through the city, staring at the ocean floor through cracked and leaking glass, you have to uncover the city's past, track down the elusive Andrew Ryan who lectures and threatens you over the PA system, and choose either to kill or save these creepy little girls called Little Sisters who scurry around Rapture guarded by their fanatically protective Big Daddies.

(Yes, you had to fight those things. It involved a lot of running and screaming.)

I won't get into details, but at the end you will, depending on your choices, leave Rapture with all the Little Sisters you saved, or become its new leader after taking care of Ryan (I think, as I haven't played through the "evil" storyline). But, in conclusion, it was an awesome game and I think I've yammered on about it long enough.

So, Bioshock II. I was hoping it would live up to its predecessor and so far its meeting all my expectations. Ten years have passed since the events of the first, and a new evil has arisen in the dark, corroded halls of Rapture. You begin play not as a trapped human, but as a Big Daddy, one of the first Big Daddies ever created. Someone is stealing human girls from the surface and turning them into Little Sisters, continuing the horrible experiments from ten years ago. Rapture has a new faceless menace in Sophia Lamb, the scientist creating these demon children, and its up to you to save or slaughter the Little Sisters in a quest to find your own adopted "daughter."

Everything I loved in the first game is back, though I do have one minor quibble, and that is the fragility of the main character. You're a freaking BIG DADDY, yet three bullets from a gun or a few whacks with a lead pipe, and you're out for the count. Considering you sometimes have three, four, five baddies coming at you at once, I would think a Big Daddy would be a little more resilient.

Still, its a small thing, and doesn't retract from the overall awesomeness of the game. I probably won't be seen very much the next few days; I'll be deep under the ocean, fighting for the future of Rapture and a horde of creepy little girls. Wish me luck. ;)

Tuesday, April 27, 2010

*Blinks* 300 followers? When did that happen? Not that I'm complaining; THANK YOU wonderful followers, for...um...following me!

Now, onto Teaser Tuesday...

I believe someone wanted a teaser with Ash last time I did this. Okie-dokey then, one Ash teaser, coming right up. :D

“What she did to me was bad enough.” Ash’s silver eyes glittered as he turned back, cold as the moon overhead. “What she made me do, I will never forgive. If I am discovered, I will at least create a big enough distraction for you to slip in and grab the scepter.”

Monday, April 26, 2010

Well, we're a week into the Team Ash/Team Puck Faceoff, and here's how things stand:

Ticket to Anywhere

Ash: 33 votesPuck: 12 votesGrim: 1 voteUndecided: 2 votes

The Book Cellar

Ash: 32 votesPuck: 11 votesGrim: 1 voteUndecided: 2 votes

So, on the Team Ash captain's blogs, Ash is clearly dominating. But its a different story on the Team Puck blogs.

WORD for Teens

Ash: 16 votesPuck: 18 votesGrim: 2 votesUndecided: 3 votes

Page Turners

Ash: 20 votesPuck: 16 votesGrim: 2 votesUndecided: 5 votes

So, Ash is the clear winner for now, but there is a week left to vote, so Puck could still make a remarkable comeback. Don't forget about all the cool prizes you could win by showing your love! The Team captains can tell you all about it.

Monday, April 19, 2010

Today on Teaser Tuesday, I bring you...not a word quote...but the STUNNING, GORGEOUS, FABULOUS covers of both The Iron Daughter (which you may have seen already) and the never-before-seen cover for Winter's Passage, the Iron Fey novella coming in June.

Exciting, no?

SO, without further ado...

THE IRON DAUGHTER

And, WINTER'S PASSAGE

I think this one is my favorite cover to date. I love love love it! Thanks again to Harlequin Teen for doing such a fantastic job! So, tell me, which one is you favorite?

Tuesday, April 13, 2010

Grimalkin here. I could introduce myself, but that seems unnecessary. I am a cat. And I have been asked by the author to host this Team Ash/Team Puck fiasco as, apparently, she believes I am a neutral third party who will not care either way which team wins or not.

She is right. I do not care. In fact, find it vaguely amusing that these two have accumulated any followers at all, as they are both impulsive and reckless and lack any sort of feline charm whatsoever...but now the author is glaring at me, so I suppose we should get on with it. Hopefully, this will be over before my nap.

Anyway, on to the Faceoff (!), insert fabricated excitement. Here are your contenders, human readers. And if you hear someone laughing hysterically in the background, worry not, it is just me.

Ash: Prince of the Winter Court. Dark, brooding, icy, and dangerous. Surprisingly graceful dancer and handy with a sword, but with the bad habit of threatening to kill you every time Mab shoots you a dirty look. As an added bonus, he can keep your drinks cold without using ice.

Puck: Oberon's jester and a nuisance to fey and humans everywhere. Words he would use to describe himself: witty, playful, mischievous, devilish. Words others would use to describe him: I cannot list for fear small children might see it.

Not much of a selection, if you ask me. But, to each their own. Apparently there are prizes for choosing a side, as well. The things humans do to entertain themselves.

Rules and prizes:

So, if you wish to vote for your favorite team, and perhaps win one of FOUR signed copies of THE IRON KING by Julie Kagawa (there is also a doodle of ME gracing the pages beneath the autographs, so that in itself is reason to grab one.), head on over to the team captain's blogs--shown below--and comment for your chance to win. Remember, there are FOUR copies up for grabs, so the more blogs you comment on, the greater your chances to win.

Oh, yes, and there might be a few painted Grimalkin rocks up for grabs as well.

And one more thing. One lucky grand prize commenter will win a signed ARC of THE IRON DAUGHTER. I understand that these are extraordinarily hard to come by, so it would be foolish to miss this opportunity. Besides, I am in the book, saving the day once again, so you will not be completely bored out of your mind.

So, now that you know the stakes, here are the links to the Team Captains blogs. Go...make your comment, cast your vote, throw tomatoes at members of the opposite team, whatever you wish to do. The Faceoff will run to the 3rd of May where, after the carnage dies down, the bodies are gathered up, and the votes are counted, we will see whether Team Ash or Team Puck has prevailed.

So, in conclusion...wait. You really want me to say this? Sighs. Oh, very well. If I must: Ice or fire? Team Ash or Team Puck? Who will reign supreme? Only you can decide the winner. Choose your side now.

Good gods, I sound like a cheesy movie commentator. There will be repercussions for this, Kagawa. I WILL come to collect, have no doubts about that.

Friday, April 9, 2010

All right! I'm finally going to get to do something I've wanted to do for YEARS! Go to Disneyland? Noooo, already been there. Go skydiving? Hm, maybe someday. Eat fugu-blowfish in Japan. I will get to that, but not today. So, what am I going to be doing that has me insanely excited?

In the words of Neo: "I know Kung Fu."

Or, I will, anyway. Soon. I'm taking a Kung Fu class with my wonderful husband. I already know karate and a bit of Tae Kwon Do, but I've always wanted to learn Kung Fu. I'll be learning a style called Wing Chun Kung Fu, which is a type of close quarters, very fluid, very deadly and efficient type of martial art. I mean, check this guy out; I've never seen hands move that fast. O.O

So yes, that's the style I'll be learning, as well as some Kempo Karate and some Kali to round it out. Be afraid, be very afraid, mwahahahahaha!

Monday, April 5, 2010

Okay, now that I feel a teensy bit guilty about that April Fool's prank (oh, who am I kidding? I was cracking up), I happened across some early reviews of The Iron Daughter and thought I'd share them. They're spoiler free, so you can read without fear of your eyes imploding or something. ;)

Thursday, April 1, 2010

In response to all the fan requests for hints about THE IRON DAUGHTER, I thought I would do a special post and list a few plot points, some minor hints, and whatnot. If you don't want spoilers, I warn you not to read further.

Anyway, here they are. THE IRON DAUGHTER spoilers.

Meghan and Ash never reach the Winter Court. They are captured by hobyahs, a type of goblin, and held captive until they manage to escape.

Meghan falls through thin ice over a pond, nearly freezes to death, and Ash has to "warm her up" using unconventional means.

A fully healed Puck appears, sees them in the midst of this, and instantly flies off the handle. They fight, nearly killing each other this time, and only stop when Meghan throws herself between them.

Machina isn't dead. His followers have brought him back to life, and he is intent on taking his revenge on the girl who killed him.

The Iron King constructs a handsome-but-deadly metal assassin to hunt Meghan down and kill her.

The assassin finds Meghan, but instead of killing her, falls in love with her. Meghan cannot help be drawn to him as well, to the extreme jealousy of Ash.

After realizing that he cannot kill her, the assassin joins Meghan on her quest to find and kill Machina (again).

Meghan waffles between the three boys in her life. Ash, Puck, and now Assassin. She cannot decide who she loves most.

They return to the mortal world, and at this time, Meghan realizes she could be pregnant. Of course, she doesn't tell any of the boys.

They finally reach The Iron King and, working together, manage to slay him once more. But Ash was mortally wounded during the fight, and as he dies, he begs Meghan to be happy.

Heartbroken, Meghan turns to Assassin for comfort, who promises that he will take care of her like Ash wanted. She and her unborn child will be protected, and they can be a family.

Meghan isn't sure what kind of life is inside her, but promises Ash she will raise their child to love Faery and everything in it.

And there you have it. Hopefully, these spoilers won't completely ruin your enjoyment of the story. But, the fans asked, and I always try to please. Iron Daughter comes out August 1st, but the wait won't be so long now, will it?

November 2014

Browse the book that started it all.

Support your favorite faery.

Followers

About Me

I'm a writer and the YA author of THE IRON FEY trilogy, beginning with THE IRON KING. I love books, anime, sushi, writing, and video games. (Occasionally, the characters from my book will hijack the computer and make an appearence, but I take no responsibility for anything they say.)